I I 3 TRAVELS THROUGH 



Rome, who has been in Sicily, has allured me, 

 that there are on the top of ./Etna ruins of a fquare 

 maufoleum, erected by the family of Empedocles, 

 built from lava, and ornamented with Greek mar- 

 ble ; hence he concluded, that this mountain, 

 fince about fixteen hundred years, has not changed 

 either its heighth or its form. But Mr. Hone!, 

 a member of the French Academy at Rome, who 

 has drawn JEtna after nature, has affured me, 

 that there are no fuch ruins to be found. This 

 mountain rnuft be of an enormous elevation, 

 , fmce from its top a great part of Italy, of the 

 Mediterranean, Sicily, Sardinia, and Corfica, can 

 be furveyed in clear weather. Unhappily I lhall 

 not enjoy this noble fight ! 



Here arrive in every fpring a quantity of'paf- 

 fage birds from Africa ; among others, a large 

 number of quails is catched living, but they are 

 poifonous at their arrival, and probably fo on 

 account of their African food ; therefore, they are 

 fed during about a week's time with corn, and 

 then drefled and eaten with fafety. 



The Italian fcorpions are very fmall in compa- 

 rifon to the African ones. 



I faw yefterday a large Afterias en-put Medufa, 



which had on its under part, near its middle 



opening, flicking, a fmaller medufa. The fifher- 



man Pafcali faid it was a young medufa ftill cling- 



3 in S 



